Today's vegetable recipe: Pure of grilled eggplant with garlic, lemon juice, tahini and parsley. A Middle Eastern spread or dip that's traditionally served with pita bread. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 or 1 points. Before I loved the garlicky, lemony taste of baba ganoush, I loved the sound of baba ganoush, pronounced [bah-bah gah-NOOSH]. Say it three times, you might love the sound too -- but it only takes one taste of baba ganoush to love how it tastes! ALTERNATE SPELLINGS Baba ghanoush; baba bannoujh; baba-ganouj; babaganoush This version uses grilled eggplant which adds a smoky flavor and adds parsley which brightens the color. It's a winner! The inspiring recipe from Alton Brown suggested adding sugar or honey if the baba ganoush were slightly bitter. There was no bitterness here but I so loved the idea of honey that after taking the photo, I swirled some in (not mixing it in, leaving it distinct) and -- oh swoon -- very good! TAHINI Baba ganoush also calls for tahini, a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. It comes in a big jar and is expensive so you'll want to be able to use it in something other than baba ganoush. The other classic recipes that calls for tahini is hummus (here's the Kitchen Parade recipe for a simple hummus ) but for something truly spectacular, I suggest Armenian Tahini Bread ?  read more »

Spring Forward Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables Strawberry and Mascarpone Granita Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs This week Giada is doing a spring menu. She does looks springy, I must say, smelling flowers and walking around the beautiful outdoors. Giada starts with chicken breasts stuffed under the skin with an herb mixture using parsley and thyme. She chops the fresh herbs, noting that chicken can be a bit bland and this gives it a lot more flavor. She adds that parsley is crisper and brighter in taste and the thyme is warmer...Hmmm. She chops and adds 3 cloves of garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper. Giada stirs that together and heats olive oil in a saut pan. Giada shows us chicken thighs and boneless chicken breasts WITH the skin on.  read more »

I remember my mother making fruit cake, she would use candied cherries that she would buy them in little air tight containers. They came in two colors, red and green, but they did not have the best taste. The candied fruit available now is much more beautiful and tastier than it was then. Trust me it isn't just for fruitcakes anymore. Making your own candied fruit to use as a garnish for dishes, in cookies, as a snack, and in cake decorating. Making candied fruit is a simple process. You infuse fruits and citrus peelings in a sugar syrup. You can candy orange wedges, orange peel, lemon peel, grapefruit peel, pineapple and fresh cherries. You can also candy fruits, such as carrots for carrot cake decorating!

. What with citrus being in season right now ; and drinking a lovely cocktail on a sunny day always being in season, it's no wonder I came to this positively refreshing bev. Mixed up on a flawless Southern California Sunday, it quenches the palate, tingles the taste buds and reminds a person that life is good.  read more »

Jamie at Home with Jamie Oliver Winter Salad Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad with Orange and Lemon Dressing Winter Crunch Salad with a Mind-Blowing Sauce Jamie is outside. Its winter in England and very cold and windy, BUT hes still got a fair old bit of salad in his garden. He slips on the railroad ties that divide up his beds, as he shows us his radicchio. Hes very proud of his treviso, lamb cress, lambs lettuce and mustard cress. Goodness, THAT would be an impressive haul in the middle of summer. Hes determined to make exciting winter salads. Back in the shed-like kitchen, he boils carrots for 15 minutes and drains them. They go into a bowl. Theyre pretty yellow, orange and purple. He going to make a salad that he says will have a Moroccan vibe. SEE?!!  read more »

Today's vegetable recipe: Fresh whole artichokes cooked in the microwave. Dead easy. Quick. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point. So 2008 will go down as the Year Alanna 'Got' Artichokes. When I stuffed artichokes , my friend Cindy wrote, "Your artichokes look great. But please don't tell my girls, I just throw them in the microwave." My friend Ann, too, after an artichoke primer at our bookclub last week, "OMG!!! I bought an artichoke today and cooked it for lunch. 7 minutes in the 'wave and 10 minutes 'rest' and then I devoured it!!!!!! Wow! I will fix another one tonight!!!" The microwave? Can dense and prickly thistles really cook in the mike?  read more »

So I'm still kind of figuring it out - but I think I'm really starting to like this place.  read more »

So I'm still kind of figuring it out - but I think I'm really starting to like this place.  read more »

Whip up this tangy-sweet smoothie in minutes using freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice, strawberries, bananas, yogurt, and honey for a refreshing summer drink.